Veterans Push For A Federal Study Of Hemp In Hopes Of Stemming Opioid Prescriptions At VA Facilities
WASHINGTON, April 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- A group of United States Armed Forces Veterans descended on the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, D.C. Tuesday, April 17 to meet with members of the Cannabis Caucus and the House Veterans' Affairs Committee. Their request is an urgent call for change in medical treatment options for Veterans: stop the dependency on opioids and compel the Veterans' Affairs Administration to study CBD derived from industrial hemp as a legal alternative to opioids, the go-to drug in masking a variety of medical conditions.
Steve Danyluk, who spearheaded the legislative meeting with Veterans, is retired from the Marine Corps Reserves. His last position was working wounded issues at Walter Reed and Bethesda. That is where he became very troubled by what he saw.
"I witnessed what I believe is a policy of overmedicating wounded service men and women with opiates and other toxic medications, which led me to establish Warfighter Hemp," said Steve Danyluk, LtCol, USMCR (RET.) and founder Warfighter Hemp. "CBD derived from Industrial Hemp provides much of the relief that these Veterans seek, at a fraction of the cost, without the psychoactive side effects, making it an ideal alternative to the various psychotropic and toxic medications in the VA's dispensary. We welcomed the opportunity to share our CBD stories with legislators."
Danyluk, along with three Veterans from Minnesota and Virginia, met with Congressman Jared Polis (D) Colorado, Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D) Oregon, and representatives from the offices of combat Veteran Congressman Moulton (D) Massachuetts, Congressman Don Young (R) Alaska, and Congressman Tim Walz (D) Minnesota. The group met individually with Congressman Brian Mast (R) Florida, himself a combat Veteran, along with an aide for Congressman Scott Peters (D) Ohio.
The group requested legislators sign a letter to Acting Secretary Robert Wilke, Department of Veterans Affairs, asking him to green light a study into CBD derived from Industrial Hemp.
This comes on the heels of a request by several members of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee requesting that the VA study medical marijuana. The request was rejected. However, on Wednesday, Congressman Lou Correa (D) California joined Ranking Member Walz and Chairman Phil Roe (R) Tennessee in introducing the bipartisan VA Medicinal Cannabis Research Act. The bill clarifies that the VA has the authority to conduct medical cannabis research and requires the Department to report to Congress on how it will use that authority.
The move is prompting positive response. "After taking a sister soldier's advice, I was able to trade out the VA "zombie cocktail" for CBD oil. Not long after that I began to feel an occasional sense of joy for the first time in over two years," said TSgt Christine Clayburg. "Is it too much to ask that the VA at least test this plant that its own warriors are telling them is working?"
To advocate for the study of hemp, contact your Congressman or Congresswoman in the US House of Representative. To learn more, visit WarfighterHemp.com or follow on Facebook.
About Warfighter Hemp
Warfighter Hemp is comprised of veterans and non-veterans who strive to provide an alternative to the medical reality that many veterans face. We develop CBD oil products derived from hemp, a federally legal and non-marijuana plant grown on USDA organic land at our fourth-generation family farm in Eaton, Colorado. We give 50 percent of our profits to other charities that support veteran's independence.
SOURCE Warfighter Hemp
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